Watch The Great British Sewing Bee Online Episodes!

This show is totally fun to watch; I really enjoyed it!  While I am pining for the last episode to be available online, I couldn’t resist sharing the first three ~ ta da!  And now episode 4 is up too!  Yay!

Anyone else inspired to sit down and do a spot of sewing?

xox,

bonita

How to ~ Crochet a Hand Towel Ring Holder

Materials List:

~  Wool {I used left over scraps - I think it was 4 ply}

~  4.5mm/5mm hook

~  Needle for sewing in ends

Gauge:  N/A   Hook & yarn chart if you are not sure what to use, or if you wish to make a smaller/large holder.

Abbreviations:  

ch – chain
st - stitch
sk - skip
sc - single crochet
dc – double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
mc - magic circle
* – repeat

The Pattern:

Using two strands of wool at once to make your sts thicker, create a large magic circle loop.

Ch 2, dc 38 sts around mc.  Sl st to join and start the 'top' of the holder.

The aim is to create a triangle shape:  Sc 7 sts across the top of your dc.

Reverse.  Sk 1st sc, and sc 5 across the top.

Reverse.  Sk 1st sc, and sc 3 across the top.

Chain 8, and sl st to the other side of the triangle to form the hanging loop.   To re-enforce the loop you can sc across it.  Sl st to join back into the main piece.

{Optional} Picot Edging:

To do a picot edging ~

Ch 3 and sl st into the same st.  Sc 1, ch3 and sl st into same st* all the way around until you reach the other side of the hanging loop.

Sew in ends and hang your towel up!    (✿◠‿◠)ﾉ

Ta Da!

xox,
bonita

Link Love ~ Refashions of a Shawl Collar T-shirt

I love the look of this shawl collar t-shirt; comfortable but stunning and vintage styled at the same time ~ what could be better?  Pop over to So, Zo… What do you know? for instructions on how to make this lovely refashion for yourself. 

Refashion Friday Inspiration: Shawl Collar T-shirt

…There's one of two ways you could create a garment like this from an existing T-shirt. You could either take a T-shirt that already fits you (or the indented recipient) well then recut the neckline, make the new collar and then attach the collar to the T-shirt. Or you could do what I did here: take a large loose fit T-shirt originally intended for a guy, and cut it up and remake it using a T-shirt sewing pattern to fit you before getting involved in the collar section.

I took the collar pattern from New Look 6808 (pictured above) to make the collar. I also used that sewing pattern's front and back pieces as a guide to recut the new T-shirt neckline…

xox,

bonita

A Pretty Vintage House Decorating Guide

I found this lovely 1967 Woman’s Weekly Home Sewing Decor Guide last year, but only just had the brilliant idea of making it in to a .pdf to share! 

It has lots of instructions on how to sew just about everything you could possibly need for your house; everything that that can be sewn that is, and it also tells you how to make interesting window dressings like pelmets, valances and cornices.

      

I like these examples of window treatments ~ although that floral wallpaper on the right is a bit much for me!!  >  <

The instructions for the table clothes seem simple, but with a nice variety of trimming styles from the normal boring square, which is useful. 

    

    

I love the colour pallet in all of the photos above that I saved from various websites ~ the fresh pastels really seem to lighten and brighten the spaces, don’t they?  Shabby French Country Chic is one of my favourite decor looks, although I love dark woods instead of all the white~washed furniture. 

There are of course, a ton more inspiration pictures out there, but combined with your handy DIY guide, your own vintage home decor and furnishings shall be easy to create ~ download it here.   ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ

xox,

bonita

Link Love ~ Easy Breezy Pillow Tutorial

I love Casey of Elegant Musings’s style ~ can we say girl crush much?  Her taste in vintage decor is every bit delightful as her wardrobe, so meander over to this little post to see how to make your own pillow slip covers.  You can also see what she has in store for her couch. Enjoy!
 

around the house: simple pillows

Happy Friday, friends! I’m excited I finally have a little DIY for you (hopefully soon there will be some garment sewing DIYs coming…) Remember my pep talk post recently about decorating and getting started on covering up those ugly, beige accent pillows? I finally did just that! I’ll show you the fruit of my labours first and then there is a mini how-to further down for those who might be curious about the process….

xox,

bonita

How To ~ Pretty-fy Bobby Pins

Hello my dears! I have another simple DIY tutorial for you that produces some very cute hair accessories so let’s get right to it shall we? 

Supplies needed:

• Clean bobby pins/hair grips ~ preferably new ones
• Pretty nail polishes in your choice of colour{s}  ~  I used Mode Cosmetics – Cool As {this polish had the best results}, Maybelline Express Finish – Passing By Pink, BYS Nail Enamel – 05 Light Purple, N.Y.C. Color – Lemon {this polish was the worst – way too runny, but I did manage to get it to work out in the end.} 
• Some cardboard or paper
  
  
      Step 1:  Arrange your bobby pins on the cardboard and make sure there is paper underneath them to catch any extra spills.
  
      Step 2:  Carefully paint along the top of the individual bobby pins using your nail polish.  Be careful not to put too much polish on the brush or it will puddle over the side of the bobby pins.
  
      Step 3:  Rinse and repeat as often as you like!
  
  Extra Tip:  It is better to use a thicker nail polish for this then a thin one, as you not only get better coverage, but it’s also easier to paint neatly so that you don’t get puddles of excess polish everywhere!
  
      Step 4: Double coat your bobby pins to cover up any see-through spots.  When you are happy with how they look, very carefully move any bobby pins that are sitting in puddles of polish so that they don’t stick when dried and ruin the paint job.

Allow your bobby pins to dry over night and then enjoy wearing your new pretties in your hair!  ᵔᴗᵔ  ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

Link Love ~ A Darling 1940’s Head Scarf

There’s another awesome guest post over at The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart ~ this time by Brittany of Va-Voom Vintage.  I adore this precious DIY she has for us, so do stop over and have a look.  : 3   

How to Sew a 1940's Hair Scarf

Hello everyone! This is Brittany from Va-Voom Vintage here, to show you how to sew a 1940's hair scarf.  I am so excited to be a part of the guest blogging series while Stephanie is on vacation!

Many months ago, I found a little pink 40's hair scarf at an antique mall. It's so sweet that I was determined to make a few more in different colors.  I wear my head scarves to keep my hair out of the way while I clean, to protect my pin curls while I sleep and to wear as a fashion accessory.

This is a great project to use some of that scrap fabric in your stash. You can use pieces of vintage sheets, feed sack, table cloths and other household  linens. Today's tutorial uses shirring. Shirring is very easy to do and looks fantastic!…

xox,

bonita

How To ~ Pretty-fy a Hair Comb

This is a super simple tutorial on covering a hair comb with yarn to make it pretty.  It’s very quick to do, but has some lovely results, so let’s get started.

Supplies needed:

• Some pretty yarn
• A hair comb or two
• A darning needle
• Glue {optional}

  Step 1:  Secure the yarn between the first two teeth and leave a tail at the back to wrap around.  

  Step 2:  Turn the comb over, and start wrapping the yarn a ‘fan’ shape ~ laying the strands next to each other* See below.  I found that five wraps was enough for the thickness of my yarn, but you may need to experiment to achieve the coverage you would like.

  The fan shape you are aiming for.

  Step 3:  Thread the yarn through the next space between the comb’s teeth and over lap the strands with the next fan shape.   

  Step 4:  Continue in the same fashion across the top of the comb, until you reach the end.

  Step 5:  Cut the yarn leaving a short tail to secure off.

  Step 6:  You can either glue the tail down, or tie it in a knot around the yarn.  You can do this by threading the tail onto a darning needle, passing behind and around the back of the wrapped yarn. Tie your knot, then thread the remainder of the tail behind your yarn to hide the rest of it.

Et voilà!  You are finished!

Now enjoy your pretty new hair combs! 

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Beaded Scallop Collar DIY

I shared a tutorial on creating vintage styled collars here and now there is another one to try out from Megan of Design Diary.  : D

DIY beaded scallop edge detachable collar

As promised a few weeks ago, I’ve put together a pattern and some instructions for how you can create your own beaded scallop edge detachable collar (phew that’s a mouthful!!)

I honestly love this collar sooo much, and have not stopped wearing it since I made it – but, that being said, it is definitely a project requiring some time and commitment. It took me almost 12 hours to do all the beading – so just keep that in mind before you start.

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ DIY Hat Stands

Mandi from Here's Looking At Me Kid has come up with a great tutorial that I thought was too cute not to share; so here you go! : D 

DIY: Easy and Colorful Hat Stands

 
   Ever since my 2010 New Year's resolution to wear more hats, my home has become a veritable dumping ground for colorful hats of all shapes and sizes. I do hang some on the wall, and others are kept in hatboxes, but I really thought it was high time some of my pretty hats received proper stands all their own. After checking online and in local antique stores to see what sort of hat stands were available, I was struck with the thrifty idea of making my own…

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ A Homemade Beauty Day

Lisa from Snoodlebug is one of the lovely Vintage Mafia ladies and she also has some nifty beauty tips.  I like her post on how to make your own pore cleansing facial mask.  Simple, but effective!  Pop over to her blog to check it out.  ^ U ^

A homemade beauty day

…Now it is time to get rid of the make up and give my hard working skin a bit of pep.  I don't have any face masks ot anything in so I decided to make my own.  Most commercial products these days lay claim to being enriched with honey or various plant extracts - so why not go straight for the store cupboard or the garden for your skincare? Also, being a vintage gal I love the "making do" aspect of home made skincare…

xox,

bonita

Eco~Friendly Cleaner Recipes & Tricks

Let’s be clear here, I am not a trendy, hipster hippie.  I can’t claim to that my household practices are entirely green, eco~conscious and save~the~whale friendly, but I am aiming to slowly reduce the amount of chemicals I use in cleaning and maintaining the house.  I mostly want to do this because not only is it better for the environment, but also because I feel it’s healthier for my family and I. 

I have no idea how many chemicals are absorbed through my skin every day, what with all the hair products, cleansers, perfume, deodorant, moisturizers, and that’s not even including the days I wear makeup!   However, it’s not only health factor that I am considering; let’s also remember that eco~friendly cleaners have been around for a lot longer than today’s trend.  I personally believe it’s a major element of the “Make do and Mend” mentality, just upcycled under a different slogan of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. 

I don’t know about you, but for me, wearing vintage is more than just clothes, it’s also part of a deliberate effort on my side to get back to basics.   You could argue that stockings, garters, gloves, hats and all those necessary accessories for a authentic 1940s or 50s look is far from basic but that’s another post entirely! 

Anyway, the whole ‘getting back to basics’ motto I am running with means that I am going to get all eco~vintage on my cleaning routine.  Here are some awesome recipes from Pinterest that I plan on using, and I thought maybe you might find them useful as well.  

DIY Laundry Detergent

  

DIY Window cleaner ~ Mix together 2/3 parts white vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and 1/3 part water in a spray bottle.

 

DIY Dishwashing Liquid & Bath Fizzer

 

DIY Air Freshener

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ DIY Vinyl Record Purse

For all you handy dandy vintage aficionados out there I have a fantastic tutorial from Charlotte of Tuppence Ha’penny Vintage on how to make your very own vinyl record purse.  It’s such a cute handbag and she even did a vinyl record hat tutorial as well, so if you want a matching hat and purse skedaddle over to her blog and take a look!

How to Make a Vinyl Record Purse

So you've got your record hat, what do you need to complete your outfit? A record handbag, of course!…

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Homemade 1940s Pillbox Hat

Another fantastic post to share from Blanka of Minor Swing of O'Sullivan's Girl!   Not only does it contain some lovely 1940s hat inspiration pictures, but it also has instructions on making your own ever popular pillbox hat for the handy dandy vintage lady.  I am absolutely filing this in the “Must Do This” list.   

Have a sticky beak over at her blog ~

Homemade pillbox hat

1942 (23th of March) LIFE issue shows hat types which could be easily (more or less) made at home. ….there's also a detailed manual telling you how you can make the gorgeous pillbox no. 12.  Pillbox hats were very popular in 1940s and are significant for this era.

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ DIY Lace Earrings

I found this post on Fashion Hacker by Em, and I love it!  A fantastic and easy DIY that will make something special to add to your jewellery collection.  I cannot wait to try it myself. 

DIY Lace Earrings

Those earrings! So pretty. I had to try to make my own!

…..I have had so much fun wearing these, and I can't wait to make more. Have fun with your own DIY!

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Restyle vintage trousers into shorts

This tutorial from Tasha of By Gum By Golly is a useful one to have tucked away in your bookmarks folder!  It’s easy to follow and she makes up the cutest pair of shorts, so check the post out here:

Tutorial: Restyle vintage trousers into shorts

Today I have a little tutorial for a fun idea that I claim no credit in inventing!

We're probably all familiar with the concept of cut off shorts. Many of us wore them when we were younger, and I saw a pair just yesterday. You know the kind. Often born out of a pair of jeans with ratty knees, cut off and left to fray unceremoniously…..

xox,

bonita

How to ~ Crochet a flower hair accessory

This is a simple tutorial on how to crochet a flower hair clip like the one above.  You might have noticed me wearing it in my hair in this outfit post:  Happy Feet ~ Outfit Thirty Eight.  Actually, it was pretty hard to miss being the subject of one whole photo all by itself!!!  *side eye*  Anyway, now you can make one just like it for yourself.  ^ w ^

I do not have my usual step by step photos as it mostly about following the pattern, so if you have any questions; please do not hesitate to ask .  : )

Materials List:

~  Wool  in two different colours {I used 2 ply cotton yarn in ivory & pink}
~  Crochet hook in the appropriate size for the ply of your wool 
~  Hair clip finding {I used a mini millinery barrette as the clip}
~  Needle for sewing the flower to the finding

Gauge:

I used a 1.75mm hook with my yarn.  For your standard 3-4 ply wool, a 2.00 - 3.25mm hook is recommended.  Hook & yarn chart.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain
sk – skip
sc - single crochet
dc – double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
* – repeat

The Pattern: 

~  Flower Centre  ~

Ch 21.
Row 1: *Dc, ch1, dc* in fifth ch from hook. *Ch1, sk1. Dc, ch 1, dc in next stitch* till the end (repeat 8 times).  You should end up with 9 double crochet V’s.  Ch 3 and turn.
Row 2: In first ch1 space between the double crochet V’s, dc 4 times. *Sl st in next ch1 space between the double crochet V’s. Dc 5 times* till the end (repeat 9 times).  Sl st in last stitch in row.

Step 1:  Fasten off and leave long tail for sewing. With the tail on the right side, roll the flower inwards (clockwise motion), placing the petals how you would like and sewing to hold it in place.

~  Flower Petals  ~

Ch 48
Row 1:  Sk 1 ch, sc in next ch and across, ch 3, turn
Row 2: *Sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk next sc, 1 dc in next sc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 3: *2 dc, ch1, 2 dc in space between 2 dc, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 4: *3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 5: *8 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across – finish off with sl st leaving a long tail to sew the clip on.

Step 2:  Take flower centre and roll the outside petals around it, sewing the petals in place with the rest of the flower centre’s tail.

Step 3:  Using the flower petals’ long tail sew the hair clip finding onto the back of the flower. 

Step 4:   Wear and enjoy your crochet flower hair clip.  ^ U ^

xox,

bonita

Made it!!

So I managed to create something every day for the 30 Days of Creativity Challenge.  I am soooo surprised and happy that I did it!   I seriously had my doubts, because as you already know, Theodore arrived on Day 3 of the 30 Days.  

Having a new baby sure made it even more challenging than it already was, but I did do it!  Okay, I will admit I posted a lot of the stuff the day after I made it, and some times I had to do a catch up and do two or three things in one day, but I still did it and that’s what counts in the end. 
^  U  ^    Here are some more of my projects ~

~* ♥ * ~  Resin daisies glued onto disc earring findings  ~* ♥ * ~

~* ♥ * ~  Nail Art using Konad plates m59 & m71  ~* ♥ * ~

~* ♥ * ~  Pearl beads threaded onto jewellery wire, finished with an ivory bow  ~* ♥ * ~

And last but not least ~ the Day 30 project….

I made it!  Yay!

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~  If you want to see all of my 30 Days of Creativity projects I have pictures up on Pinterest.  You can find them here.

How to ~ Create a pin cushion out of a teacup

All the credit for this fantastic DIY goes to Sophie of Sophie Makes Things.   She had a wonderful idea that worked so beautifully that I had to try it myself!  I am not going to do a proper tutorial because you should go and check Sophie’s tutorial out here:

D.I.Y - Teacup Pin Cushion!

This was my Day One project for the 30 Days of Creativity Challenge  and I thought I would show you some pictures of what I did and, of course, the end results!   ^ ω ^  ~ ♥

Recipe for one cute pin cushion!

Step 1:  Beg, borrow or steal one pretty teacup and saucer.

 

 

 

 

Step 2:  Have fun with a glue gun!

Cup stuck to saucer?  Good, now you can move on…

 

Step 3:  Stuffing explosion!  A teacup volcano has erupted.

Step 4:  ‘Measure’ your material to fit your stuffing ~ this was rather an estimation on my part.

 

 

 

Step 5:  Put stuffing in material square and make it round.

 

 

 

 

Step 6:  Finish your fabric dumpling  *nomnom*

 

 

 

 

 

Step 7:  Apply more glue ~ you can never have enough….  > < 

 

 

 

 

And……

Tada!!!

You now have a pin cushion teacup to keep your needle mouse company.   > ω <    Is it not lovely?  I have it sitting on my desk next to my computer; just in case, you know, I need to ever sew a key back on my keyboard or some such thing…. 

Let me know if you make one of these too ~ we can have a teacup pin cushion party!  : D

xox,

bonita